In The Detailing Bay: 650bhp Full Stage R34 GT-R

The best thing about the Meguiar’s detailing bay is the eclectic mix of cars we get turning up. From concourse-clean VWs to daily-driven vans and everything in between, any car – irrespective of make, model or year – is welcome into the bay. In fact, having such a diverse selection of cars in the bay allows us to quickly and easily develop products best suited to every petrolhead’s needs!

But it’s easy to assume that, just because a car’s paintwork is immaculate, that it doesn’t get driven fast. The reality is actually far from that, and one car keen to demonstrate this is Mark Riccioni’s R34 GT-R Skyline. Pushing a modest 650bhp and a spec list that’d rival most race cars, Mark’s GT-R is far from being a show pony. It gets driven hard at any opportunity!

Mark’s no stranger to the Meguiar’s detailing bay. Over the year’s we’ve welcomed many of his cars into the bay, all of which follow a similar ethos to his GT-R. ‘Cars are designed to be used – especially if they’re performance orientated – but that doesn’t mean they should be neglected’ he explains. ‘Constant hard use and track days put stress on ALL components including the bodywork. You wouldn’t skip over servicing the engine after that kind of use, so why skip over the bodywork?’

Imported from Japan last year by Harlow Jap Autos, Mark’s GT-R has a mere 25,000-miles on the clock and its overall condition easily backs this up. Sure it’s fitted with a rollcage, bucket seat, oil coolers and various other motorsport parts, but look past those stand-out bits and you’re left with one seriously-clean GT-R – a rear rarity these days especially given its age.

Before bringing it into the bay, Mark had a few key areas he wanted to address – the contaminated bodywork, brake dust-covered wheels and an engine bay filled with oil splatter after a catch-tank recently overflowed. Due to its condition, a full paint correction wasn’t necessary so Meguiar’s kicked things off by treating the exterior to our new Car Wash Plus+.

Car Wash Plus+ is the perfect product for someone like Mark,who will be the first to admit he doesn’t always have time to perform a step-by-step process on his car’s paintwork. Meguiar’s Car Wash Plus+ is a fast and easy way to wash your car which does more than simply cleans your paint – it actively removes contaminants and swirl marks while you clean.

There’s no careful mixing or repeat trips with the bucket; simply apply Car Wash Plus+ directly to your wash mitt and away you go. With tar, rubber and grit littered over the bodywork Car Wash Plus+ made quick work of removing all these contaminants in one go, leaving behind a super glossy finish.

Exterior taken care of, the next step was the wheels. Fitted with motorsport-spec Brembo brakes behind bright white Volk TE37 wheels, it’s safe to say unsightly brake dust is one of the GT-R’s biggest issues.

By simply spraying our new Ultimate Wheel Cleaner directly to the wheel, brake dust and dirt is broken down and removed in a matter of minutes. There’s no scrubbing; in fact there’s zero agitation – simply spray on, wait, rinse off. The results are nothing short of spectacular!

It was a different story altogether in the engine bay unfortunately. After the oil catch-tank overflowed spraying oil over the left side of the engine bay, it’s safe to say the Skyline’s beating heart was left somewhat tainted. Not an issue for Meguiar’s APC – otherwise known as All Purpose Cleaner…

This is a product which really does exactly what it says on the bottle. Grime, oil, grease; it’s no match for APC. Simply spray it onto the effected area, leave briefly for it to break down the contaminants and wipe away with a clean towel.

Repeat until the engine bay is restored back to its former glory… and ensure said catch tank is then emptied more regularly!

You know what’s better than a super-fast Skyline? A super-fast CLEAN Skyline! We look forward to seeing the GT-R back out on track and (inevitably) back in the bay very soon…

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